Sorry for the super long wait, but I hope you enjoy this long chapter.
Tori can vaguely hear the shower running as she sits anxiously at the kitchen table. Her foot taps an incessant beat against the wood paneling, and her fingers move in time with the frenzied rhythm in a fidgety manner atop her lap.
"Alright, you just gotta calm down." She tells herself for the umpteenth time. If anything, her muscles jerk with more ferocity. "You're doing the right thing." Another part of her mantra. She glances at her watch, noting that nearly forty minutes had passed since the goth had started her shower. "Crap, what if she collapsed again?" Tori murmurs, chiding herself for not insisting she eat before taking a shower.
Just as she's about to check on the stranger, she hears the water shut off. Though rather than calm her nerves, the noise sets them into overdrive. Her heart thrashes against her chest and she's oblivious to the sharp pain brought on by her nail digging into her palms. "I can do this." She asserts. "Yeah it's all good. I'm just bringing in a random stranger which is no big deal. Right?" her voice takes on an overwrought tone at the last word. "Yeah. This is definitely the right thing to do." She repeats. "I just need to calm down."
Minutes drag by until she finally hears the bathroom door slide open. Soft steps bounce against the wooden floor and Tori looks expectantly at the kitchen entrance. Jade strides into view, draped in a loose t-shirt and sweats given to her by Tori.
"Hey." the latina smiles softly at seeing the dirt and grime scrubbed off the goth. Her hair now falls in thick, waterlogged strands over her face that seems even paler without the dirt. "I forgot to go grocery shopping so I just ordered some pizza. Is that cool?"
Jade lets out a tense breath. "Yeah." She eases into the seat across from Tori.
An awkward silence stretches between them until Tori clears her throat and says, "Well, help yourself." She gestures towards the still warm box. Without a second of hesitation, Jade scoops up two slices of pizza.
Tori stares at the goth in pure curiosity. Her teeth act as a cage, lightly clamping on her lips in hopes of sealing the dozens of questions that are fighting to come loose. The stranger's stubbornness and aloof nature had stayed firmly in place, to the point where she still hadn't even given Tori her name. Imaginary pasts flickered through the latina's mind as she tried to piece together her hidden background.
After a few bites Jade looks up at her in annoyance, "What?" she snaps, "You just going to stare at me the whole time?"
Shock and then embarrassment washes Tori's features after being caught in the act. "Oh," she squeaks as a blush creeps up her face. "Sorry." Her eyes dart to the left, then the right, then back at her guest. "So, how's the pizza?" she asks lamely.
A muted incredulity dawns on Jade's face, "Are you serious?" she deadpans.
Tori smiles sheepishly with a helpless shrug. "I... um... yeah." More blood rushes to her cheeks.
The corner of Jade's lips quirk into the slightest ghost of a smile. But Tori misses it as she now stares fixedly at her fidgeting fingers. Jade takes advantage of the horribly awkward silence by taking a few more bites, but at last she rescues Tori who's drowning in mortification with a quick, "It's alright."
Brown eyes snap towards the goth whose gaze flickers towards the latina then back at the pizza. "Yeah?" The word rings with both hope and relief.
Jade shrugs nonchalantly and starts on her next piece.
A more comfortable gap of silence stretches between the two until Tori musters up the confidence to ask again, "So I never got your name."
Jade's eyes land on Tori as she contemplates the simple implied question. The whole reason she came to the city in the first place was because she knew she could lie low and hide under the radar. She already fucked that up by settling down in a stranger's house who could definitely identify her face. Though at the same time, a sick and twisted part of her mind wanted to be found. She wanted to believe that upon returning home she'd be greeted with cake and balloons, and that she could just start over. Or maybe she just wanted this haunting terror to go away, one way or another. And before she can stop herself, she hears her lips murmur "Jade."
Tori is surprised to hear the girl reply, believing that the following silence would last forever. "Jade." She echoes, as if trying the name out to see how it fits. "I like it." she smiles genuinely. Before she can continue, the doorbell rings throughout the apartment.
Jade freezes, truly believing that disclosing her name also gave up her exact whereabouts. She barely hears Tori over the blood rushing in her ears.
Tori's eyebrows knit in confusion, until shock takes over and she hurriedly checks her phone. "Crap, I forgot." She bolts out of her seat, then looks at Jade as if she forgot she was there. "Crap, um... Okay I know this is weird, but can you just chill in the guest room for awhile? My dad's here and I don't really think I should explain all this now. It's the second door on the right." She spits in a whispered blur.
However, Jade stays frozen in her seat for a moment, still trying to decipher the rush of words spewed at her. But when she realizes Tori's already racing towards the door, she swiftly locks herself in the second bedroom.
Confusion freezes Jade's mind, locking her into a motionless stand mere inches away from the white-paneled door. Though the emergence of a new voice jolts her back to reality. With a sudden flare of paranoia, her heart stutters at the idea of being found. She launches forward until her ear is pressed against the cool wood. Icy eyes squint shut in an effort to hear the low murmur of voices.
At last she realizes that she doesn't recognize the voice. However, as Tori and the decidedly male figure walk further into the apartment, Jade's able to decipher bits and pieces of their conversation.
"...shower and some food... better." Jade's breath hitches in her throat at Tori's voice.
'What the hell is she talking about?' Labored breaths gust past her lips as fear crawls over her skin. 'There's no way she's talking about me. Please tell me she's not talking about me.'
Fighting a panic attack, Jade counts to three, a calming sigh accenting each number, and turns her attention back to the mystery man.
"...expecting you." Tori finishes.
"I came straight from the precinct after I got the call."
'She fucking called the cops on me.' She tries to rid herself of the terrible realization. 'They're going to take me back.'
A dizzying terror deafens her, and she stumbles away from the door. "No." it's a whispered syllable trampled by her rampaging heart. She dashes towards the window. Her breath fogs against the glass as she stares down at a parked cruiser that she swears wasn't there when she came.
For a second her lungs freeze in their ivory cage, the icy, paralyzing tendrils of fear spreading across her chest until they're gripping her heart. The bloody organ seems to thrash in the merciless grasp, desperately trying to escape until it's left shaking with exhaustion. All the while her mind stays shackled to haunting memories.
The next moment, time is ruthlessly set back into place. Each second strikes her like an iron fist; raining on her head until she's dizzy, and barreling into chest leaving her gasping in shallow breaths. Her eyes dart around the room, desperately searching for an escape. Though it seemed her only options were to either dive from the five-story window, or try to slink out through the door without being seen.
She succumbs to an overwhelming helplessness, nearly drowning in it. Shaky hands clasp a small desk lamp, the makeshift weapon acting as her only lifeline. But in the end, all she can do is wait.
…
Tori looks back one more time to make sure Jade is in the guest room before swinging the front door open. "Hey Dad," she greets him a little too eagerly, "How's it going?"
David Vega tiredly walks into the apartment and replies, "I'm fine." He strides into the living room. "How's the work place?"
Mind still reeling from being with Jade just moments before, Tori pauses in confusion for a moment before responding. "It's fine. Same old same old." She easily falls into the lie.
David studies her before asking, "Any crazy stories today?"
The memory of the goth's broken gaze flickers in Tori's mind, but she hears herself say, "No, not really."
His eyes narrow slightly. "Not even kind of weird?"
Panic clouds over the younger Vega, and she wonders if he somehow found out about Jade. Though she plays the worry off with a casual shrug. "Nope."
A deep sigh brushes past David's lips. "Come on Tori. Linda told me you weren't at work today."
"Oh that." She murmurs, slightly relieved to hear that her secret was still safe. "Yeah, I wasn't feeling well this morning."
Before she can flinch backwards, David places his hand against her forehead. "You don't feel warm."
"Yeah, I just woke up with a headache. Pretty sure that's all it was though, because after a shower and some food I was feeling a lot better." She responds without missing a beat.
Though he still doesn't seem convinced. "Tori-"
"Dad," she cuts him off before he can launch into a lecture. "I'm good. I was just having a rough start. That's all. Promise.
Her heart squeezes when she can practically see exhaustion drilling wrinkles in his face. With a sigh he finally responds, chuckling slightly. "Alright. I've been known to play hookie every once in a while anyways. You gotta get better at your stories though kid." He ruffles her hair before sinking into the couch.
"Yeah, okay old man." She laughs, sitting next to him. "I didn't realize you'd be coming so early, I wasn't expecting you."
"Came straight from the precinct after I got the call." he heaves a deep sigh, "Long day at the station."
"Oh yeah?" Tori inclines, desperate to change he subject.
"You know how it is, stacks of paper work while Gerald jabbered on about his time in Miami."
A snort jumps from her throat, familiar with the old cop's outrageous stories. "What'd he do this time?"
"Something about single-handedly solving a major case about a psycho killer druglord." David rolls his eyes.
"Of course he did." Their conversation continues on for a few more minutes, reminiscing over some of Gerald's most extravagant tales, until David can no longer ignore his exhaustion and calls it a night.
"Alright kid I'm gonna head back. See you next week; and don't forget to work on those hookie excuses." he embraces her in a hug.
"I'll try. Love you Dad."
"Love you too kiddo."
As soon as the door slides closed Tori races to the guest room. "Sorry about that, I-" she starts upon entering, but stops midway when she sees the room is empty. Her eyes frantically scan the area, but rather than calm her, the sight of Jade sends dread creeping down her spine.
The goth sits huddled in the furthest corner, her back pressed so tightly against the wall as if she's hoping to be devoured by it. Light tremors wrack her frame and her breaths are whispering past in small puffs of air.
Tori's instantly scurrying towards her, but stops halfway when Jade spits out "Get the fuck away from me." Desperation and rage accent the tremulous order. The latina notes the miniature lamp clutched mercilessly in her pale hands, but is more disturbed by the terror swimming in her eyes.
"What happened?" the latina whispers.
Anger swallows some of the fear, "You called the fucking cops, that's what happened."
"What?" Her eyebrows knit together, until understanding dawns on her. "Oh no no no, that was just my dad. He comes to visit every once in a while."
"Yeah right. Why the fuck is there a cruiser outside? And why was he talking about coming from the precinct?" Venom drenches her words.
"Crap, I should have told you." Tori anxiously rakes her hands through her hair, before explaining in a flurry of words. "He's a cop, but I swear I didn't tell him anything."
Jade's silent for a minute, but then responds incredulously, "Your dad's a cop?" Renewed panic seizes her, "Fuck fuck fuck, I knew I shouldn't have come here. Fuck."
"No wait-" Tori realizes her mistake and tries to assure the runaway. But Jade's already fallen in a terrified tirade.
"Your dad's a fucking cop. Shit, and I gave you my name too. So what, is he waiting in the living room for me?" Tori opens her mouth to reject the idea, but Jade plows on, "Fuck, what was I thinking? I can't believe I came here, I was better off on the street." Her words wobble with the threat of tears and she's already starting to hyperventilate. "I can't stay here. I should have known not to go with you. I gotta get out of here." She scrambles to get to her feet, but Tori's quick to stop her.
She wraps her fingers around Jade's too-thin wrists, only gently pressing on the them. But the slight contact only strengthens the eruption of panic that's torn through her. A crack in the dam breaks through, giving way a trickle of tears trailing down her flushed cheeks.
"Get the fuck off me!" She screeches, pulling wildly away from Tori. But the latina's grip doesn't slacken, instead she holds on resolutely with a stare that screams 'I'm not going anywhere.'
"Jade. Jade listen to me." She tries to get through to the goth, her tone obviously anxious and slightly panicky herself. "Jade!"
The runaway settles down enough to make eye contact, but for a second Tori wishes she didn't. That same broken and raw torment drowns in her gaze, floundering in the tears welling up over those blue-green irises. "Why couldn't you have just left me to die?" It's no more than a whimper, but the softness and utter truth of it slices through Tori in a way that makes her own heart ache.
They're both quiet- Tori who wrenches her gaze away from the shattered girl trying to gather all her racing thoughts and ravaged emotions, and Jade who's gulping in small bursts of air, still trying desperately to avoid a full meltdown.
At last Tori looks back at the goth, feelings in check, and slightly tightens her grasp. "Listen to me." Jade keeps her head down, "I didn't call the cops. I swear. And I'm not going to call them; to be honest I'm not too big a fan of them either." She pauses for a moment, "Do you believe me?"
Tori can't see Jade's face with her still damp ebony locks falling over her face as she stares determinedly at the ground. She's nearly silent now, the tears have stopped and her breathing is coming much easier. But Jade can still hear her heart slamming against her chest. "Let me go." she finally whispers.
The latina hesitates before unraveling her fingers. "I'm going to help you." The unwavering look returns to her eyes.
At last Jade lifts her head until she's staring at Tori, a deep melancholy etched in her face. "Why?"
"Because..." the rest of the sentence dies in her throat. 'Because I've been where you are!" she wants to scream, but instead she finishes, "Because I care about what happens to you."
Jade rolls her eyes tiredly, "You don't even know me."
"I know." she responds quickly, "I know." Uncertainty shakes her words, "I... Just believe me okay? I want to help." she's desperate for Jade to understand.
Confusion makes Jade's thoughts tumble. She buries her face in her hands, heaving in calming sighs, "I can't believe this is happening." the words are muffled. "Look," she lifts her head up and pins Tori with a piercing glare. "I don't know what you think happened to me, but I can assure you that you don't know shit. You can't just take me in like some lost puppy and nurse me back to health." indignation laces her words, and for a moment Tori forgets that just a moment ago she was verging on a mental breakdown. "So what I'm trying to say is fuck you and your perfect-ass condo and your cop daddy, and just fuck off."
For the first time irritation bubbles in Tori, "We all have our problems." she mutters.
"What? Did Daddy forget to give you your weekly allowance?" her voice is warped with sarcasm.
A slow and deep sigh rattles in Tori's lungs, "Okay, I think we can both agree that I don't know anything about you. But you don't know me or what I've been through either." Jade's about to retaliate until she really looks at her. She pauses when she sees the look reflecting in her eyes. It's the same one she often sees in the mirror, one that's chained to the past, forever. "So just believe me when I say I've gone through my fair share of crap too and that I want to help." Silence. "I didn't call the cops."
Jade measures her breaths, sorting through the monster of a mess in her mind. All her options seemed to come to a dead end. She couldn't go home, going back to the streets would mean death, and staying with Tori would probably drive her to insanity. "I don't know." she shakes her head, "I don't know what else to do." she tries to keep the desperate hopelessness out of her voice.
"Stay with me." the words are soft and pleading. "I'm not going to promise that it'll be butterflies and rainbows if you do, but I can help you make it a little more bearable." half of her lip twists into a crooked smile. "I really do care what happens to you."
'You shouldn't.' Jade wants to rebut. Yet again she reminds herself of the dangers in trusting the sweet nothings from others. But yet again a naïve and nagging part of her says that maybe this time is different. Maybe this time if she stays, things will actually get better. Maybe. "Okay." she whispers, "Okay, I'll stay."
So do you guys have any ideas as to Jade and Tori's past?